AN application to build a 180-bed hotel and conference centre at Strive in St Peter is “the right investment” but “in the wrong place”, according to a former Planning Committee chair.
In a detailed submission to the planning application, former Deputy Alastair Layzell, who successfully campaigned for the Airport’s 1937 building to be retained when it faced demolition, said that the development, if approved, would “almost certainly be the largest ad hoc incursion into the Green Zone since it was introduced”.
He said that the applicant’s investment in tourism “should be welcomed” but added that it should be directed to the ‘built-up Area’, as laid out in the Bridging Island Plan, rather than in the ‘green zone’, which covers the area south of the Airport runway proposed for the hotel.
He said: “The application […] is for a 180-bedroom and conference centre right on the Airport Road. The building – on land which is higher than the road – rises to 22m; five storeys and a roof terrace – a building which would stand out even if it were constructed in an urban centre such as St Helier, let alone the generally open countryside of St Peter.”
Mr Layzell argued that the application “fails significant tests” set out in policies of the 2022 Bridging Island Plan, which is the rulebook against which all planning applications are judged.
He stressed that his letter should not be taken as criticism of the applicant but it was about the process behind it, including the 2016 planning approval of the Strive Health Club and Gym, which he said should not be seen as a precursor to further development.
Meanwhile, former Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf has also raised questions about the Strive application.
In a social media post, the St Brelade representative wrote: “Although it is not in our parish, the recent planning application by Strive to build what is effectively a six-storey hotel on the Airport Road (bigger than the Radisson on the Waterfront) will be visible from many parts of the parish.
“I know that many people are ‘pro Strive’ and like the facilities that it provides, but this is something completely different. The visualisation gives some idea of the sheer scale of the building, but the application should really have included visualisations from many different viewpoints and angles to give a better idea of the visual impact.
“I’d encourage parishioners to take a look at the planning and consider whether such a huge building is appropriate in the green zone.”
Ports of Jersey has also recently commented on the Strive application. Chief operating officer Stephen King said that the publicly owned body supported the proposed development subject to conditions, which included meeting aircraft noise level standards, and the applicant providing a ‘glint and glare assessment’ and details of the building heights.
He said: “Ports of Jersey wishes to confirm its conditional support for this outline planning application, however due to its proximity to the airfield, it is important to ensure that there is no operational impact.”
Mr King added: “We request that [Strive] continues to engage with us throughout the detailed design stages to safeguard airport operations.”
Strive managing director Ben Harvey told the JEP that he didn’t want to prejudice the planning process by speaking at this stage.
